A Reality Remixed
by Artemicion
Summary: In another world, Pokemon and humans fear and hate each other instead of coexisting peacefully. Tracey accidentally finds himself stuck in this world. Somehow, he must survive in a world where trainers are hated by both sides...and get home in piece.
1. Prologue

_**A Reality Remixed**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or its characters. That right belongs to the geniuses of Nintendo. This story is purely for enjoyment purposes and no profit is being made whatsoever.

A/N: Wow, it's been a while since I've written anything. But after a long hiatus away from the fanfiction world, I've decided to sink my teeth back into it, beginning with an idea I've toyed around with. This is a story that may have some disturbing content that younger readers might want to avoid. Also, it is a Pro-Tracey fic. What can I say, I love the guy and he gets so little attention fandom and canon-wise that I can't help but to indulge. So if you don't like Tracey, do yourself a favor a hit the back button on your browser. Or, you can keep an open mind and try to enjoy the fic. Without further ado…

Prologue

The humans, all of them, were going to die.

He was frozen to the spot as he watched the terrible carnage raging before him. Fields, its hills rolling and once green as far as the eye could see, was ablaze with flames that reached high into the sky and cast an ominous orange haze on everything. Over the sounds of the fire were the continuous cries of fear and pain. People were fleeing in panic as their homes were attack, assaulted by various Pokemon that all held the same deadly intent to destroy everyone and everything in the small town.

A gasp escaped his throat as he saw a young girl, crying loudly for her mother, lost in the confusion, toddle out of her home and into the path of an angry Nidoking. Before he could even blink, the Nidoking had whirled and struck the girl hard with his tail. The girl shrieked in pain as she was sent flying by the bulky purple tail, smashing through the weakened wall of a burning home nearby.

His heart was beating overtime in distress as he watched other scenes not unlike that: an Electabuzz chasing a fleeing man and shocking him repeatedly, a pack of Spearow bearing down on a pair of children that were desperately seeking shelter from them, a man crying out in agony as a Tauros pinned him to the ground by its hooves and continued to bear its massive weight down on the man to crush him. Bodies lay strewn everywhere, some moaning while others unnaturally still. All the while, he just watched, helpless. Afraid.

The world had gone mad. It was a place where there was no peace, the terrible rift between Pokemon and humans so wide and filled with hatred and distrust that it inevitably always led to something like this. It was the world he'd grown up in, one he was used to.

But not one he could accept. And certainly not one he could condone, especially not this kind of senseless slaughter. The scars that littered his body were both old and new, left by Pokemon and humans alike. He was marked and reviled, a Traitor among his own kind and hunted by the other side. He knew he'd earned each and every one of them as he went against the True Way and fought to protect who he deemed innocent from the Purges.

It was still hard sometimes, though.

"Help! Someone, mommy, HELP!" came a pitiful cry from down the road where he stood. His glanced around to identify the owner of the voice. His sharp eyes honed in on a small child running frantically to escape a menacing swarm of Beedrill. It was time for action.

With a growl, he sprang forward. He barely noticed as his feet padded over a sign that had been knocked over and read in sunny bold letters: 'Welcome to Pallet Town.' Instead, he ducked his head and darted down the hill straight for the child and Beedrill that were chasing her.

"_Get down!"_ He hissed to the tiny girl, and didn't have time to make sure that she even heard or understood him. Instead, he felt the flames gather in his mouth and the distance between him and the Beedrill suddenly begin to close. The Beedrill at the head of the swarm realized what he was doing seconds too late, fearfully diving and dodging in order to avoid the attack they knew was to come.

He snapped his bottom jaw open and out poured an explosion of flames. It scattered the buzzing insect-Pokemon from their group. A few of the more unlucky ones even got caught by the flames and began shrieking a horrible, high-pitched sound of agony.

"_Traitor…!"_

"_Traitor!"_

"_Traitorrrrrr…"_

He ignored the accusing jeers. The little girl was hunched behind him, eyes wide and tearful as she watched him unleash another flurry of flamethrowers upon his fellow Pokemon, forcing them to disperse into smaller, more chaotic groups. To think that he was doing this to protect a member of the cursed Enslavers' race! He, a Pokemon. A Traitor.

"_Traitorrrrr…"_


	2. Special Delivery

_**A Reality Remixed**_

Chapter One: Special Delivery

The package was an innocuous brown with no more detail about it than the thin brown twine tied around it and the single scratch of white paper sporting the neatly typed address of the Pallet Town Pokemon Laboratory.

Samuel Oak, renowned Pokemon professor, blinked as the delivery man held the package out to him. He looked at the package and then at the delivery man, "What's this? A package?"

"Yes Sir!" chirped the delivery man. No sooner had Oak taken the package did the man shove a clipboard and pen into his face, "Sign please!"

"O-Oh. Of course," Oak stammered and juggled the package in one hand while the other scrawled his messy signature across the line at the bottom of the sheet.

The delivery man made a satisfied noise as Oak returned the clipboard to him. He saluted the Pokemon professor, grinning widely, "Thank you, Sir! Have a nice day!"

"Yes, you too…" was Oak's distracted answer, for he was already eyeing the package with a curious look.

It wasn't that getting packages was unusual; he received many from colleagues with various devices and research notes that warranted his opinion or expertise on almost a weekly basis. Those, however, always came with a phone call in advance so he came to expect them. This package had had no such warning. What was even more unusual was that there was absolutely no return address.

_Perhaps someone sent me a gift?_ Oak mused, shaking the box experimentally. He heard a faint sound of something scratching the cardboard sides of the box. It sounded like Styrofoam popcorn, and whatever the little kernels were protecting was light but solid.

Curiosity piqued, Oak closed the door and walked over to the table to place the box down. As he rifled through a nearby drawer for scissors to cut open the package, the door leading into the field out back opened and in trudged his assistant, who was sopping wet.

"Haha, you missed the most interesting thing, Professor! Ash's Kingler and Totodile were challenged to a race by that Chinchou we have been observing. Anyway, the moment all three of them get into the water, Snorlax comes running across the field and _dives into the pond right on top of them_," Tracey Sketchit concluded with a laugh as he twisted the bottom of his drenched shirt, trying to wring out some of the water.

Oak spared him an amused look and a wry, "That would explain how the splash was big enough to catch you as well!"

Tracey grinned, going on, "Well, apparently Snorlax got into the berry trees that we just planted and he accidentally ate a Figy Berry that wasn't ripe yet so it was TOO spicy."

"Oh dear. If he already got into the berries, I can only assume that we're going to have to go replant them," Oak groaned with a hand on his forehead.

Tracey just shrugged a little sheepishly. Sighing, Oak knew that nothing he and Tracey did to safeguard _any_ viable food source was going to be enough to fend off Snorlax. Which was unfortunate because when that Pokemon got hungry, man did it get _hungry_!

"What have you got there, Professor? Someone sent you something?" Tracey asked when he noticed the package for the first time. "You weren't expecting anything, were you?"

Oak frowned, glancing back to it, "No, I wasn't. Perhaps whoever sent it wanted it to be a surprise or we missed their phone call. Anyway, I was about to open it and see what it is for myself but I can't find any scissors."

"No problem. Just let me get changed and I'll find a pair," Tracey assured him, already taking off his shoes and making his way towards his room, leaving a trail of wet spots in his wake.

Oak smiled after him. Tracey had only been his assistant for a little over two years but in the short time he had grown very fond of the bright, enthusiastic young man. It warmed his heart to see a young person like Tracey (or his grandson Gary for that matter) following in his footsteps of learning about Pokemon through intensive studies and research rather than wandering the world on a quest to conquer the path of becoming a Pokemon Master. Not that there was anything wrong with that dream; it was just nice to see that some chose to learn through patient years of studying rather than battles.

A moment later Tracey emerged, now dry and dressed in comfortable slacks and a shirt with rolled up sleeves, armed with a pair of scissors, "Here you are, Professor Oak. Let's see what we have here."

Oak stepped aside as Tracey advanced. He made quick work of the thin rope that banded the package together, then the tape that held the top. He flipped open the flaps of cardboard to reveal it nearly overflowing with the pale pink and green kernels of protective Styrofoam popcorn. Tracey dug around in it. Then he seemed to find something nestled amongst the popcorn and lifted it out with both hands.

"Interesting," Tracey muttered, taking in the object that was in sitting in his hands. He carefully undid the cloth that had been wrapped around it for extra measure. The flaps of blue cloth fell open to reveal a cylindrical stone object. He turned it over in his hands and examined it closely, holding it out so that the Pokemon professor could do the same.

"It looks like an artifact of some sort," Oak remarked as Tracey's fingers traced over the odd, badly eroded markings that ran along the perimeter of the top the cylinder as well as along the sides. The markings were separated from each other by thick, purposefully deep lines that seemed to have been etched as dividers. Tracey discovered that the cylinder was actually three separate pieces that were connected by a middle axis, allowing the three discs to rotate when he turned them.

Even with this discovery neither of them had any idea what it was. Tracey scratched the back of his head after handing it off to the Professor, "Any ideas, Professor?"

"Hmm," Oak simply said as he experimentally turned the discs to see if perhaps some of the symbols that were still in tact matched up. None of them did. Something at the top caught his eye and he ran his thumb over it. A rough, grainy texture of the stone's interior met his touch. He held the object up higher and beckoned for Tracey to lean in. "Look at this, Tracey. Tell me if you see anything unusual."

Tracey carefully eyed the area Oak was indicating. He scanned the top where the symbols were etched along the edge of the circular top. They were divided by the same notches used to divide up the symbols lining the side. However, there was one section where there was no symbol at all. Tracey ran his thumb over it and realized why Oak had pointed it out.

"It looks like a piece is missing here. Maybe it broke off?" Tracey said, looking up the older man with wide eyes.

Oak nodded, knowing that his assistant's keen eyes would catch it, "It would appear so."

He rolled up his sleeves and dug around in the box, face twisted in concentration. After a few good moments of thorough searching, he let out a frustrated sigh and retracted his hands, giving Tracey a slight frown, "Well, whatever it was, it didn't break off in here."

They both glanced back to the mysterious object, equally baffled. Whoever had sent them this object had not even bothered to write a note. It was even more puzzling because it had very clearly been meant for them; the address of the laboratory was perfect and distinctly indicated on the label.

"Maybe we should—"Oak began but was cut off as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, Professor," Tracey offered. He walked to the front door and swung the door open to reveal the smiling face of Delia Ketchum, who was holding a large bag of groceries in her arms.

"Hello there, Tracey!" She greeted in her singsong voice.

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum. Here, let me take that for you," answered Tracey as he liberated the bag of groceries from her arms and stepped aside so she could enter. He noticed her constant companion behind her and grinned, "Oh! Hi, Mr. Mime, I didn't see you there. Come in."

"Mime mime," the psychic Pokemon bubbled and tottered in after Delia.

"Oh! Delia!" exclaimed Oak with the typical flustered flush that was on his face whenever he was around Delia Ketchum. "What brings you here?"

"What? Oh Samuel, did you forget? I promised I'd make you and Tracey dinner for helping me and Mimey plant those berry trees in my garden," Delia said.

Oak blinked and scratched the back of his neck, "That…that was today?"

Tracey and Mr. Mime chuckled as Delia let out an exasperated sigh, "Yes, Samuel. Oh honestly! You can get so lost in your research sometimes it's a wonder that you even remember to eat!"

"I eat!" Oak weakly argued though it wasn't saying much since the majority of food that was in the refrigerator was tofu. On a good day, when either Oak or Tracey needed a break from researching and actually shopped for food, there might have been a jug of milk or orange juice crammed in there with the many boxes of tofu.

Delia shook her head and gently pushed him back towards the way he'd come, "Now you just go continue doing whatever it was you were doing while Mimey and I go start dinner."

Tracey grinned as Oak began blustering about Delia not having to go through the trouble on his account and that he would be fine with lending her a hand. The young man shook his head and trailed after them into the kitchen, passing the table where the peculiar object lay forgotten for the moment. Had he walked by it slower he might have noted something odd that was happening as the object lay bathed in a beam of sunlight that filtered in through the open curtain.

The top, in the small notch that they'd thought to be the remains of a broken off piece, was _glowing_.

* * *

In a van parked a little ways off from the hill where the lab was situated, a man impatiently thrummed his fingers against the steering wheel. His eyes were on the peaceful looking little laboratory, waiting to see his partner reappear on the well worn path that led to the lab's entrance. He had been sitting there waiting to hear confirmation that their mission had been completed.

As if on cue, his partner emerged from over the hill. Even from that distance, he could see the pleased smirk plastered across the other man's face as he plucked the cap of the delivery man disguise from his head and sauntered towards the van.

"So," the more burly man in the van asked as the other approached, "it's been delivered?"

The other man's golden hair gleamed in the sunlight and he nodded even as he unbuttoned the 'Ponyta Express' uniform shirt, "The package has been delivered. It will only be a matter of time…"

"Heh. Good. Let's get back and report in," the driver answered and started the engine. Their boss was going to be very pleased to hear that the first phase of the plan was finally in action.


	3. Poison

_**A Reality Remixed**_

Chapter Two: Poison

The day after the package's arrival started off like any other typical morning for Tracey. He woke up at the usual time and went down stairs to start breakfast for him and Oak. As he was plating the scrambled eggs and toast, Oak walked into the kitchen looking only half alive, hair sticking out in all directions.

"Good morning, Professor," Tracey cheerfully said and slid a plate in front of the older man.

Oak muttered something that sounded close to a greeting and let out a gaping yawn. Tracey only smiled and went back to cooking his breakfast. He knew that Oak was exhausted from staying up all night examining the object. After a sensational dinner thanks to Delia, he and Oak had spent some time trying to figure out what the thing was: turning it various ways to see if there were any viable patterns, photographed it, scanning it thoroughly with the computer, and just about anything they could think of to see if they could get an idea as to what it was or what it did.

Eventually, Tracey had had to give the Pokemon their dinner and check the grounds to secure everything for the night. After that, he had gone to bed but it seemed that Oak had stayed up later with the object.

"So did you find out anything new about that artifact?" Tracey asked as he snagged a mug from the cabinet and filled it with coffee he'd just brewed. He placed it down in front of Oak, who thanked him and instantly picked it up for a grateful sip.

"Hmm…perfect," Oak hummed in pleasure, eyes closed for a second. Finally, he turned his attention back to his assistant, "Not really. I took some notes about it and put the photographs onto the computer. I think today would be a good day to start calling around to see if any of our colleagues sent it to us and merely forgot to give us a heads up about it."

"That's a good idea," Tracey slid into the seat across from Oak and dug into his own breakfast. He still had a slew of morning chores to complete so he wouldn't be of any use to the Professor until later on in the day.

They chatted about some new Proteins and Carbos that they'd been planning on experimenting with the Pokemon feed over breakfast. Tracey enthusiastically told the Pokemon Professor about an idea that he'd been entertaining involving the new berries that they'd be harvesting in a few months (if they could keep Snorlax out of them, that is). Oak, despite being tired, listened attentively, nodded occasionally, and made small remarks on his ideas. It still sent a shiver of delight down Tracey's spine whenever he realized that _yes_, he WAS actually sitting at a table with his idol discussing one of his measly ideas. Never would he have dreamed that he'd have this experience.

Once they finished eating, Tracey cleared the table and cleaned up. Oak headed into the lab where he'd been studying the object. Tracey headed outside to the storage room and began the very long process of morning feed for all the various Pokemon that lived on the corral behind the lab.

Almost the moment he emerged, his Venonat and Marill came running up to meet him. Both of them knew the morning routine well enough to know when to expect him. He smiled at them as they greeted him happily. "Morning, you two. Ready to get started? Hey, where's Bayleef?"

He glanced around for the grass-type Pokemon that he'd become good friends with over time. In the beginning, she'd been depressed for a long time after Ash left her and the rest of the Pokemon that he'd captured from the Johto region. So much so that she'd actually stopped eating at one point, which had worried both Oak and Tracey so much that they'd had to call Ash. Through the vid-phone, he'd given her a very long and encouraging pep talk that had, thankfully, done the trick.

Tracey had been thrilled to find her happily eating her food the next day. She even began to come out of her shell and interact with the other Pokemon. Eventually, she began to help him with little odd jobs around the lab and corral. She was a very darling and sweet Pokemon that Tracey enjoyed every second with. She was always ready and willing to help, which was why it was weird that she wasn't there with Marill and Venonat.

"Well? Do you two know?" Tracey asked, mildly concerned.

Both Marill and Venonat shook their heads and did their equivalent of a shrug. Frowning, Tracey looked around one more time but didn't see Bayleef anywhere in sight.

"Hmm…well, let's get started. I'll go look for her and make sure everything's okay once we're done," He said, a feeling of dread at the pit of his stomach that something had made her slip back into that funk she'd been in after Ash's departure for Hoenn.

Marill helped scoop the specially prepared food into a line of bowls. Tracey had developed a system to keep the different types of food separate by what species liked what. He'd taught it to Marill, Venonat, and Bayleef—all whom were a big help—and now he was fairly confident that should he not be around for whatever reason, they could handle the feeding themselves.

"All right, that's one cart," Tracey said after he and Venonat loaded a cart for the water Pokemon. They set up several more identical carts for each of the various types of Pokemon present on the corral. Then came the time consuming part: distribution.

Without Bayleef to help, Tracey had to call a few other Pokemon over to help push the carts around. After one large round, all of the carts were emptied and now the residents of the corral were happily munching away at their morning meal.

"Whew!" Tracey huffed, swiping a sheet of sweat from his forehead. "Now that that's done, let's go check on Bayleef. I didn't see her come for her breakfast."

"Venon-nat!"

"Mar-rill!"

They followed him as he scoured the grounds for the missing Grass-type. Tracey was growing increasingly concerned and called out as they entered a grove of trees where most of the Grass-types liked to relax, "Bayleef! Hey, Bayleef! Where are you?"

"Mar-rillll!!" Marill hollered helpfully with her stubby little arms raised, paws cupped around her mouth to make her voice louder. Her ears were twitching instinctively as she sought to hear Bayleef's answering call.

Venonat clambered onto a tree and sat on the limb, using his impressive sight to scan into and past the foliage in the surrounding area. When the other Pokemon begin to notice the three of them searching, a few chipped in to help, including most of Ash's Pokemon. The group scattered all over the corral, calling out for Bayleef and looking in every crevice they could think of that she might hide in.

It was Donphan that found her. Tracey had been growing more worried and frustrated by the seconds. The young, elephant-like ground type came trundling up to him, babbling anxiously, his ears and trunk flailing out in all directions. Tracey struggled to understand what he was saying, only able to decipher 'Follow me!' in all the childish gibbering.

Donphan led the way across the ranch with Tracey and some of the other Pokemon steps behind. They came upon a thicket of bushes on the edge of the pond. Tracey's eyes widened when the sound of a deep, raspy gasping reached his ears. He caught sight of a yellow tail sticking out from under one of the bushes and hurried forward, already knowing to whom it belonged.

"Bayleef? What's wrong?" He asked, pushing back some branches.

Bayleef lay listlessly beneath the leaves. Her condition was so appalling that he gaped for a second. She lay stretched out in the dirt, her eyes half-lidded and unfocused. The slow rise and fall of her body was even more alarming by the wheezing sound her throat produced. Instead of a vibrant yellow, her hide was a pale, milky color and the bulbs around her neck were shriveled and a shade darker than usual.

"Bayleef!" Tracey exclaimed dropping to his knees beside her.

She perked up ever so slightly at the sound of his voice, eyes flicking around to find him, "…Bay…?"

His heart clenched in his chest at the weak sound. He reached out to touch her neck gently, "What happened to you? Bayleef…"

Relying on what he knew about the evolutionary stages of the Chikorita family, he checked her pupils and laid his head against her side to listen more closely to her breathing. There was an unusual rattling sound with each exhale, mixed in with an almost inaudible whimper of pain that tore at his heart. His hand brushed past her mouth and he was surprised to see a magenta stain on his finger tips when he pulled his hand away.

"Marill?" Marill squeaked in surprise when she and Venonat found them.

Tracey looked at her, "Marill, run back to the lab and get Professor Oak! I'm going to bring Bayleef in. She needs help. Go!"

Marill didn't need to be asked twice. She pivoted and hurried away, sprinting as fast as her little feet could carry her towards the laboratory. Meanwhile, Tracey was trying to figure out how he could get Bayleef to the lab. She was half his size and far too heavy for him to carry.

Luckily, the other Pokemon that had been helping them search were now converging towards the spot. Tracey scanned the lot of them before his eyes found one of the largest and strongest, a Nidoking nicknamed Casanova by the trainer that had left him for his flirtatious ways with every Nidoqueen he laid eyes on.

"Casanova! Give me a hand!" Tracey called.

Immediately, the fearsome Poison-type ambled forward to help. Tracey anxiously looked up at him, "We need to get Bayleef to the lab!"

Casanova nodded, "Nido."

Tracey very carefully helped roll Bayleef over so Casanova could get his arms under her. She whimpered in pain, thrashing weakly in protest at the movement that apparently caused her discomfort. Tracey murmured many apologies and words of comfort, gently releasing her into Casanova's arms.

The purple Poison-type curled his arms around her limp body and began jogging to the lab in great, thundering steps. Tracey and many of the other Pokemon hastened after him. He was relieved to see Oak and Marill waiting in the doorway for them.

Oak's eyes widened when he saw Casanova charging towards the lab with Bayleef clutched protectively in his arms. When the Nidoking slid to a stop in front of him, Oak glanced at Tracey, "What is going on, Tracey?"

"Professor!" Tracey gasped, "Bayleef…she...something's…wrong…"

"So I see. Go get one of the gurneys. We'll need to wheel her inside," Oak decisively ordered as Casanova placed Bayleef down in front of him. He was already kneeling beside her with a penlight out, peeling her eyelids open wider to check her pupils.

Tracey darted inside to do as Oak bade. He lifted one of the gurneys from the treatment center of the lab and returned quickly to the Professor's side. By now, Bayleef had stopped making the pitiful sounds of discomfort. She had begun to become unresponsive to everything that was happening around her, which was much more distressing.

"Quickly," Oak urged.

Tracey laid the gurney out beside Bayleef's prone form. With great gentleness, he and Oak rolled her onto it and then each took a side to lift the gurney for the trip inside where they could treat her. Oak ordered him to go grab a bag of fluids for an IV drip as he tore open the seal to hypodermic needle and plunged it into a bottle of some drug that would help perk Bayleef up.

"Call the Viridian City Pokemon Center and ask Nurse Joy if she can come assist us," Oak commanded as he jabbed the needle into a spot on Bayleef's neck.

Tracey automatically grabbed the receiver of the phone, eyes wide and worried, "Professor?"

"She's showing signs of a severe allergic reaction to something," the Professor tersely explained as he ran an IV line into one of her sprawled, motionless legs. He had to re-hydrate her before she got worse.

Numb with shock, Tracey punched in the numbers of the Viridian City Pokemon Center, the nearest center to Pallet Town. Normally, the two of them could treat most illnesses and injuries with the equipment and medicine stored in the lab. However, when the condition of the Pokemon was too severe, they often called to the Viridian City Nurse Joy for help. When she picked up, Tracey quickly gave her an explanation and request for assistance.

"Oh my! That does sound serious! I'll be right there. Tell Professor Oak to take her temperature and keep her hydrated," Nurse Joy said and then launched into a series of drugs that they were to administer if her temperature began to spike or her breathing became too labored.

Tracey thanked her and repeated all of it to Oak, not totally sure he understood all of it. However, Oak did. They kept a constant eye on her for the next hour and a half while they waited for Joy's arrival. At one point, they had to put her on a respirator as her breathing became more and more shallow. Tracey was sitting beside her bed when the sweet sound of the doorbell chimed.

"I came as quickly as I could," Joy's voice drifted into the room to Tracey's ears. "Where is she?"

"In here. We've put her on an IV and she's been having trouble breathing so we put her on a respirator," Oak explained quickly.

Tracey stood and moved out of the way as the two of them entered the room. Joy spared him on a single look before her eyes honed in on Bayleef. She was at the bed in less than a second and immediately set to work. Tracey hesitated awkwardly in the door way for a few minutes. Then, with a shaky breath, he made his exit so that he would not be in their way.

_She's going to be fine._ He tried to assure himself whilst leaning against the wall listening to Joy and Oak scurry about to treat Bayleef. Tracey curled and uncurled his fists slowly and let out a soft gust of air, raging at how helpless and useless he felt.

"…Marill?" came a soft, inquisitive peep at his feet. He looked down to see Marill hesitantly looking at him, Venonat not too far away in the still open doorway, as well as the other Pokemon who'd been helping him search for Bayleef.

"Marill mar?" Marill asked. Tracey knew she was asking if Bayleef would be okay.

"I don't know," He answered softly as inside the room behind him, Joy shrieked that Bayleef wasn't breathing.

* * *

_That's him, all right._ _My god, look how tall he's grown…_

The thought was filled with a feeling of affection, awe, and wistfulness. The man had the smallest of smiles on his face as he lowered the binoculars that had been aimed into corral of the Pallet Town Pokemon Laboratory. He'd witnessed the events as they unfolded and watched with a strange feeling of pride and contempt as the young assistant of the renowned Professor Oak rushed the ill Bayleef inside.

His eyes dropped to the ordinary looking bottle still held firmly in his left hand. It was funny how such a small container could be the cause of such a furor.

"What _was_ that?" asked an incredulous voice behind him.

He turned briefly to regard the other two that had accompanied him to stake out the laboratory in this spot. They were brutish and crude, comical in how they sought to be 'evil,' the typical attitude of any grunts working against the betterment of mankind. He was disgusted by them and their small mindedness. However, they'd served his purpose well so he tolerated their irritating presence.

"Oh, this?" He asked casually, tossing the bottle in the blond's direction, "It's only a little pesticide."

The blond man goggled at the bottle and asked him in a dubious voice, "_Only_ pesticide? You must be kidding. That Bayleef went down in _minutes_ after it ate those berries."

He merely shrugged, turning his eyes back to the ranch, "Okay, so maybe it's a bit stronger than what you are used to in this world. WE, unlike you, do not merely wish to repel the pests from our crops."

"No kidding," the blond snorted and handed the bottle back to him. "So…is that why you wanted us to spray that berry tree? To take out a measly Bayleef?"

"Honestly," the other man scoffed in disdain, "it must hurt when try to use that brain. That's the only explanation I can come up with whenever you open your mouth."

The blond man flushed, insulted, but dared not retort in his defense, "Well then, why_ did_ you want us to spray it? What does taking out some random Grass-type have to do with activating the artifact?"

The other didn't answer, instead lifting the binoculars back up to his face to continue observing the lab and its inhabitants. Before the blond could prattle on any further, the third of their trio returned from his trek to the van they'd used to get here. He looked quickly to the blond before his eyes settled on the other man, wariness etched in every feature.

"That was the boss. He says to tell you that the item has been successfully retrieved," He reported.

"Good. Good for him," the other answered noncommittally, not even bothering to look at them. He could feel them warily regard him, trying to size him up, to figure him out. He could tell that he made them nervous and was fine with letting them feel that way. Their squirming was amusing, after all.

After a beat, the far too talkative blond spoke up again, "You're absolutely positive that the kid can activate that thing?"

"He will. I can guarantee you that."

"What makes you so sure?"

Instead of answering, he smirked at them coldly over his shoulder, "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about that. In fact, I would be more worried about whether or not your boss used some discretion to get the other artifact. Because believe me, gentlemen, if the…"

He paused, tilting his head to find the right word, "No, not if. When. When the _guardian_ finds out, he's going to be pret-ty angry. And if all that I've seen and heard is true…well, let's just say that by the end of all of this, you'll be thinking of _me_ as the _nice _one."

His smile was purely condescending and filled with scorn for them. He almost laughed to see how troubled and angry they looked. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the Pokemon Lab, a genuine smile on his lips as he saw the young assistant reemerge from the doorway with a clearly worried expression on his face.

_Soon, Tracey. Very soon. Just a little bit longer…and we'll be reunited at last._


	4. Mystery

_**A Reality Remixed**_

OOC: Sorry for the delay. I got sidetracked by another project. Thanks for the support, everyone.

Chapter Three: Mystery

The skies over Tangelo Island were alive with color. Small bulbs of light spiraled upward from the barge that bobbed in place a ways off the pier where the annual Sol Festival took place. The bulbs whizzed skyward, their spiraling paths leaving trails of light in the indigo evening sky. Then, when they reached the peak of their ascent, they burst outward into a shower of colorful sparks with a resounding _POP!_

A smiled tugged upward on Shin's face as he heard yet another excited round of whispers and gasps flurry through the mesmerized crowd watching the fireworks. Each year he attended the great Festival, and it seemed that each year the hosts outdid themselves. He leaned against the railing, content to let his responsibilities slide from his shoulders for the moment so he could enjoy the Sol Festival as he'd done since he had been a small child.

Alas, it was not to be.

The receiver of his radio, clipped on his right shoulder, crackled to life, "_This is Alec! Someone's—they are in---we---reinforcem—"_

Shin's content mood instantly vanished. The panic that he'd just heard was very real, even through the static-filled radio. He gave his companion, who'd been equally mesmerized by the fireworks, beside him a nudge. Then he pushed off of the railing and tilted his ear to hear better, finger pressing the button down so he could communicate with the speaker.

"Alec!" He said urgently, ducking past a group of partiers into a tent so he could hear better, "This is Shin! What's going on?"

There was a heartbeat of ominous silence. Then the radio exploded to life and Alec's frantic voice blared out into the tent, drowning out the thundering of the fireworks, "_Sir_ _Shin! The tem—it's—attack—"_

Alec's voice was drowned out by a burst of static and then silence. Shin's heart skipped a beat as he realized what Alec had been trying to say. _There's been an attack on the Temple!_

Worried, Shin glanced over at his companion, "We have to go. Now!"

"Electa-buzz!" the Electric-type agreed.

They trotted past a few spectators and ran for an area further down the pier where less people were milling about. Shin grabbed two Poke Balls from his belt and tossed them, "Fearow! Come out!"

Two fearsome long-necked birds appeared and emitted a shrill cry. Shin hurriedly climbed on one while Electabuzz mounted the other. Grimly, Shin directed them to fly east and _fast_. Their destination was a small island directly south of Murcott Island that was simply labeled as a deserted island on all maps of the Orange Archipelago. It was the best way to keep curious tourists and outsiders away from the island and what was contained on it.

_How can this be? Who would attack the Temple? _He worried as his two Fearow rocketed effortlessly through the sky. The wind rushed past him in sharp torrents, strong enough to knock him right off had he not been clinging on so tightly, a testament to how fast Fearow was flying. Shin barely felt any of it, his mind miles ahead on the tiny island which housed one of the greatest treasures of the Orange Islands. _Could…could they be after it? But why? They can't even use it!_

He shook his head sharply to clear it of these puzzling and frustrating thoughts. Now was not the time. He hunkered down, silently urging Fearow to fly even faster.

An echo of an explosion, like the thundering of a coming storm or the fireworks behind him, rumbled into the night sky. But it was coming from in front of them…where the island was. As if on cue, an orange light appeared on the horizon. Shin's eyes widened as they came upon the island and saw the horrifying sight of flames licking at the trees. The sky was hot and choked with thick plumes of smoke. Even from where he was, Shin could tell the origin of the fire now engulfing most of the trees was coming from the island's center…the Temple of the Sun.

_Who did this?_ Shin thought angrily, his head whipping around to find whoever had dealt this carnage. His eyes honed in on a small speck in the distance that was out of place with the rest of the illuminated sky. It was hovering just over the island. Shin fumbled with his belt to unhook a pair of binoculars.

He flipped on the night vision and aimed the binoculars towards the speck. Through the green tinge he saw a large Charizard hovering calmly over the raging flames, a tall figure swathed in black atop its back. Even from this distance, through the grainy image that the binoculars were feeding him, Shin could see the disturbing leer on the man's face as he surveyed the scene below him.

"YOU THERE!" He bellowed, unable to contain himself anymore.

The man glanced over his shoulder towards him. Shin gritted his teeth as his two Fearow flew him and Electabuzz closer and closer to this threat. They got close enough so that Shin could se the smirk enter the man's face. Then the Charizard he was riding on snapped his jaws open and unleashed an explosion of flames.

"Dodge!" Shin commanded both of his Flying-types, struggling to maintain his hold as Fearow jerked sharply to the left. The fiery stream of orange and red seared past his head with uncomfortable proximity. "Electabuzz! Thunderbo—"

But before the words could even leave Shin's mouth, another beam ripped right through the remnants of the flamethrower and right for them. This one was more concentrated and laser like, glowing a white-yellow and blazing with immense power. Shin's eyes widened in surprise. _A Hyper Beam? But how did he have time to—_

He was half thrown off as Fearow was forced to make split second maneuvers to avoid being hit by the attack. Shin managed to grab hold of Fearow's shoulder and right himself. He barely had his leg flung back over Fearow's back when the Flying-type was forced to barrel roll in order to avoid collision with an orange blur that had suddenly come hurtling right for them.

"Gah!" Shin cried, arms flailing desperately to hold on, the same time Fearow let out a startled shriek. The blast of wind that billowed out from the powerful orange wings of the passing streak was enough to knock Fearow off its flight path.

"Eleeccc!!" he heard Electabuzz bellow at the same time from the other dodging Fearow.

_It's so FAST! How the hell is it—_

Heart pounding, Shin jerked his head to look over his shoulder, to find where the Charizard had ended up. To his astonishment, the dragon-like Fire Pokemon had slid around in a slow, graceful arc, its motions almost too languid and graceful to be apart of the chaos that was ensuing. All the while the man riding the Charizard's back watched him with a predatory smile.

"Electabuzz, NOW!" hollered Shin.

"ELECTABUZZZZ!!!" his Electric-type screeched as lightning whirled about the knobs on its head. The jagged yellow bolts gathered and then blasted towards Charizard, crackling and sizzling through the air.

Charizard let out a roar and titled its head back. Shin saw tiny spots of orange and gold light being drawn into its mouth, gathering into a glowing sphere of energy that promised death. Time seemed to slow down as the next few seconds unfolded.

Electabuzz's attack snarled forward with unforgiving, unbridled speed. Charizard-- demonstrating a most unnatural show of agility of its own--back-winged to put a length of distance between it and the onslaught of electricity. All in one motion, it yanked its head forward and must have unhinged its jaw to let loose the cataclysmic explosion of power it did.

Shin watched, frozen with awe and terror, the glowing white beam effortlessly overcome the electric attack and press forward so quickly that Fearow and Electabuzz barely managed to swerve quick enough not to be directly in its path…but not quick enough to completely escape.

"FEEEAA!!!" Fearow's agonized scream rang out as one of its wings was engulfed by the beam, tearing through delicate tendons and nerves, incinerating feathers. It flailed wildly midair, in massive pain, throwing Electabuzz off of its back. Then, as the waves of torturous pain set in, it began to plummet towards the sea far below.

"Fearow! Electabuzz! NO!" Shin cried in horror.

"_Fear_!" the Fearow beneath him squawked in alarm as the Charizard turns its gaze on them. Shin tensed, readying for a battle against the monstrous Pokemon and his smug trainer.

Then, without warning, there was a voice, "LORD SHIN! Pidgeot, Gust Attack!"

"Flygon, Hyper Beam!"

Shin was never happier to see his comrades in his life. Charizard was forced to abandon the showdown it was having with Fearow. It flapped its powerful wings to gain altitude, twisting and twirling to avoid the double assault by the new comers. Shin watched with a sick, shocked feeling as they pursued the Charizard, whose trainer was now laughing wildly in delight, an inappropriately joyous sound that sent a cold shiver down Shin's spine. _Who __**was**__ that?_

"Fear. Row," Fearow chided him. It was flying them towards the beach instead of after the Charizard.

Shin's eyes went wide in horror, "Fearow! Electabuzz!"

Electabuzz, despite being the bulky Electric-type that he was, had managed to haul both himself and its injured companion out of the water. Shin couldn't scramble off of his mount fast enough to drop to his knees at their side. Electabuzz was panting but was unhurt. The other Fearow however…

"Don't worry, Fearow. We'll get you some help. It's okay…" Shin reassured it as he took in the charred, bleeding remains where Fearow's magnificent wing had been. He quickly took out a Poke Ball and recalled the injured Flying-type, feeling heartsick.

As if things couldn't get any worse, at that moment the sound of trotting feet came up to meet them. It was Alec, the Temple guardian who'd called in the distress call. His clothes were torn and spattered with blood. A gash ran across his forehead and there was an angry red burn on the side of his arm. The distress on his face was what was most worrying.

"Alec! What happened?" Shin demanded.

"Lord…Lord…Shin," Alec gasped and tried to catch his breath, "f-forgive…forgive me…"

The dread that had settled into Shin's gut hardened. He reached out and took the man by his shoulders, shaking him, "The treasure, Alec! Is it safe?"

The regret and shame that filled Alec's face was Shin's answer. Cursing, he shoved the other man away and grabbed his cell phone, dialing a number he knew by heart though he hoped he'd never have to call it with this sort of news.

"Captain. Someone's stolen the treasure," Shin's harried face met Alec's, who was watching him with trepidation, the glow of the raging fire casting a translucent orange light over his features. After a moment, Shin nodded grimly though the other speaker wouldn't see it, "Yes Sir. I'll contact the Guardian immediately."

* * *

"Bayleef," Joy said with a tired smile nearly eight hours after her arrival, "is going to be fine. She responded well to the anti-toxin we gave her and her breathing is sounding much better!"

Her words were such a relief that Tracey felt his knees go wobbly. He sank into a seat with a great sigh. Running his hands through his dark hair, he smiled up at Joy and Oak, who both looked worn to the bone after several solid hours of treating the Grass-type.

Chastened at this sight, Tracey jumped to his feet, "You two must be exhausted. Let me go fix you something to eat. I'll stay with her while you take a break."

Joy smiled at him gratefully, rubbing her stiff neck, "A cup of tea would be nice."

"Thank you, Tracey," Oak added as he slid past the Professor and Nurse and into the kitchen.

Tracey took a moment to flash an 'OK' sign to the band of Pokemon that had taken root right at the door leading out into the corral. His reassurance was met with a union of sighs and cries of relief. They dispersed now that they were sure that they're friend would be okay. He would have to get started on the last meal of the day for the Pokemon soon.

He fixed a quick tray containing soup, sandwiches, and tea. They thanked him profusely as he slid the food in front of them on the table in the dining room. Tracey left them to their meal and slipped quietly into the room where Bayleef was resting. The lights had been dimmed and the only sound was the steady, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. One look at the Pokemon that lay silently on the table made Tracey's heart constrict in his chest and he remained motionless for a moment, taking in the sight of the creature that looked nothing like the spirited Bayleef he knew.

_Oh Bayleef…_He thought sadly, sliding into the vacant seat beside the bed. He sat quietly at her side until Oak's hand came to rest on his shoulder and the Professor softly said his name, suggesting that he ought to go feed the Pokemon while Oak and Joy ran some more tests on Bayleef. Tracey did so with a heavier heart after seeing Bayleef so unnaturally still.

It wasn't until the next morning that Oak and Joy managed to shed any light on what had caused Bayleef to collapse.

"_Pesticide?_" Tracey exclaimed, unsure if he'd heard Oak correctly.

Oak nodded at him grimly over his cup of coffee as the two of them sat around the table discussing it over breakfast. Joy had gone to call in to her Pokemon Center to make sure that things were okay in her absence. The Professor held up a specimen bag containing a few Cheri Berries.

"Nurse Joy and I pumped the contents of Bayleef's stomach and found the remains of Cheri Berries in there. After you went to bed, she and I went to the tree and found that it had been doused in pesticide," Oak said. Tracey's eyes widened in alarm and he jumped out of his seat but Oak waved him off, "Don't worry! Don't worry! I've already covered the tree and left very specific orders for none of the Pokemon to even go near the berry trees until we can figure out if any if the others were sprayed."

Tracey slowly sat down, brows furrowed in thought, "But Professor…_we don't __**have**__ any pesticide!_ How did pesticide get on the tree? And _why?_ Or _how_ for that matter?"

Agitated, Tracey began to pace, still ranting, "Who would do this?" His gasped at a sudden, shocking thought, "Professor, what if someone is out to hurt the Pokemon?"

Oak stroked his chin, and his expression was grim, "It's a troubling thought. We'll need to beef up security around the corral. And we'll need to tell Officer Jenny if there is someone out to hurt the Pokemon." His expression darkened at the thought and he growled, "The thought of someone doing something so…so _evil_ is…is…"

He was at a loss of the proper words to express his disgust. Tracey understood. It frustrated and infuriated him to think that anyone could swoop to depths as low as setting out to intentionally hurt a Pokemon. Who would _do_ such a terrible thing??

_**How**__ can someone do it?_ Tracey thought with a twinge of pain as he remembered the unnaturally still way that Bayleef had laid on the bed.

They sat there sharing the silence and helpless sense of rage until a soft 'ahem' brought them out of their respective worlds. Joy's sympathetic eyes flicked between the two of them, "You really shouldn't be so worried. I just checked on her again and she's resting comfortably. The anti-biotic we administered is already bringing her fever down and her petals are starting to re-hydrate themselves. She will just need rest and then some time out in the sunlight."

Oak noticed the bag she had in her hand, "Are you heading back to Viridian City, Nurse Joy?"

She nodded apologetically, "Yes, I'm afraid I'm needed back at the Pokemon Center. I'm very sorry but I have to go."

Oak nodded and rose in his seat, "No, no. No apology needed, Nurse Joy. We're thankful for all of your help. Thank you for coming all this way on such short notice."

The Pokemon nurse smiled and replied, "Oh, it's no problem at all. I was just glad that I could help. I left an extra case of medicine just in case. Also, I recommend you supplement her diet with more vitamins until her body has fully cleansed itself of the poison."

"I will make sure to keep an eye on her," Oak promised. He looked at Tracey, "Tracey, why don't you go with Nurse Joy and make sure that she gets back to Viridian safely?"

Tracey nodded even as Joy shook her head, "Oh! That's very kind but it's not necessary. I'll be fine."

"It's no problem, Nurse Joy," Tracey added. "It's the least we can do since you came all this way to help us."

It wasn't a very long trip, but Tracey gathered his three faithful Pokemon and hauled a light travel pack onto his shoulders, which included—of course—a fresh notebook ready to record anything interesting he might encounter along the way. When he plodded down the stairs, he saw Oak standing outside talking to Joy. The Pokemon Professor handed him a wrapped package when he emerged.

"This is that item we were sent. I have a feeling that," Oak's mouth pressed into a thin, displeased line, "in wake of what has occurred you and I will be quite too busy to look it over properly. But a colleague I spoke to named Professor Sycamore informed me that he is in Viridian City for the week giving lectures at Viridian University. He has studied the field of archaeology extensively, and he expressed an interest when I told him about this."

"You want me to transport it to him," Tracey deducted.

Oak nodded, "Yes. I will call ahead and let him know that you are coming. In the mean time, I think I will do some further investigating just to make sure that none of the other Pokemon were harmed."

"Okay. I'll be back as fast as I can, Professor," answered his assistant. He fell into step besides Joy and they set off for the path leading through Viridian Forest and to the sprawling, infamous city waiting on the other side.


End file.
